SingaporeMotherhood | Parenting

June 2013

Haze: Coping with Kids

By

What are you doing to deal with the haze? Six mums share their coping strategies…

[banner][/banner]

BRING OUT THE AIR PURIFIER

“We turn on the air conditioner all day. We also use citronella in our Delphin vacuum cleaner to clean the air, for 10 minutes every hour. I also restrict outdoor activities as my boy has sensitive airways.” Janice Chan, 40, VP of investments and mum to two children aged 4 and 6

INCREASE IMMUNITY

“We take lots of water and ‘cooling’ drinks like barley, chrysanthemum, coconut, and water chestnut. I believe that if the body not heated up, there is less risk of falling sick. We also take vitamins (in fruit juices as well) as usual, and I’ve added more fruits and vegetables to our diet. Generally, we stay indoors and avoid crowded places. I also put masks, hats, and shades in the kids’ bags, so they can use them as and when needed, and ensure that they get adequate sleep.” Joanne Heng, 39, Stay-at-Home-Mum (SAHM) to two children aged 4 and 2

COOL DOWN THE BODY

“I’m quite ‘bo-chup’, not doing anything. We just stay indoors and drink lots of water. We also drink some ‘liang teh’ to cool the body system as well. The air-con is on from evening till early morning.” Juliana Lim, 34, Preschool educator and mum to a daughter aged 3

GET CRAFTY

“I remind my children to drink more water. We have postponed our outdoor plans, and I have stocked up art and craft materials for them to stay at home to do handicraft.” Wai Wai Leung, 34, teacher and mum to two children aged 4 and 5

fruit

CREATE LEARNING MOMENTS

“I’m keeping the kids indoors and making them drink lots of water and take one teaspoon of Manuka honey per day. We spread this on bread, so it’s easy to take. We turn on the air-con only at night. During the day we use the fan. But if it’s really hot we turn on the air-con for a while to cool down.

I keep my boys occupied at home with indoor activities like puzzles, trains, reading, drawing, crafts, and music. They entertain themselves by playing the piano and singing. I’m also taking this opportunity to teach my older boy how to do housework, and learn to cook simple things like making pancakes together. I’ve also closed all windows and doors.” Sally Ng, 39, SAHM to two boys aged 3 and 7

HYDRATE AND LUBRICATE

“My younger daughter has always been prone to respiratory problems and she is having a cough right now so I do not allow her to go to school. We close all the windows and turn on the fan and air-conditioning. I have all family members take Vitamin C daily and drink lots of water. Every morning I will also spray my children’s nose with Sterimar, and use eye drops after their shower.” Silvia Djunaidi, mum to two girls aged 4 and 12

Ways to protect yourself from the haze

Take the following steps to protect yourself from the haze, as recommended by Healthexchange by Singhealth

  • Cover your nose and mouth with a mask when you go out – make sure you get a mask that can catch tiny particles below 0.3 microns.
  • Keep the doors and windows of your home closed.
  • Roll up the windows of your car if you are driving.
  • Use an air-conditioner in your home to help remove pollutants.
  • Use an air ionizer or air purifier to catch very small particles.
  • Drink more water than usual – this helps the kidneys flush out any toxins absorbed through the skin and lungs.
  • Cut down on coffee and alcohol – these promote fluid loss and leach nutrients from the body.
  • Build up your immunity with foods rich in vitamin C (oranges, guava, strawberries), vitamin E (nuts and seeds) and omega-3 fatty acids (oily fish).

All content from this article, including images, cannot be reproduced without credits or written permission from SingaporeMotherhood.

Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Telegram for the latest article and promotion updates.

Haze: Coping with Kids